The structural and functional integrity of the lung extracellular matrix (ECM) is largely dependent on the conversion of soluble collagen and elastin to insoluble, fibrous aggregates catalyzed by lysyl oxidase (LO), a copper [Cu(II)] dependent enzyme. This catalyst oxidizes lysine residues within these proteins to generate covalent cross-linkages stabilizing the ECM. Thus, LO plays a central role in the lung morphogenesis and tissue repair. Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal for humans. Inhalation and accumulation by the lung of Cd either from environmental contamination or from cigarette smoke induces perturbations of the metal ion homeostasis, which may be a key mechanism for the pathogenesis of the lung. Preliminary studies showed that development of Cd resistance (CdR) of rat lung fibroblasts (RFL6) following long-term Cd exposure was accompanied by upregulation of cellular metallothionein (MT) and glutathione (GSH), and downregulation of LO and its collagen and elastin substrates. These findings led to a hypothesis for the mechanisms of Cd injury to the lung ECM relevant to emphysema pathogenesis: During long term exposure to Cd, the lung fibroblasts upregulate the synthesis of MT and GSH. These intracellular thiols bind Cu ions with a higher affinity than Cd thus severely perturbing the homeostasis of Cu, limiting its availability to LO, and contributing to the downregulation of LO at the mRNA, protein and catalytic levels as shown in preliminary studies. Downregulation of LO would in turn inhibit the crosslinking of collagen and elastin, favoring their destabilization, solubilization and eventual degradation and interfering with their repair. The resulting solubilized collagen and elastin would inhibit their own synthesis possibly by a feedback mechanism, further disturbing the balance between synthesis and degradation of these proteins and disrupting the ECM, events which are characteristic of the development of emphysema. The following Specific Aims are designed to test this hypothesis: 1) To assess mechanisms of Cd perturbation of Cu(ll) homeostasis in CdR-RFL6 cells; 2) To investigate mechanisms of LO downregulation at transcriptional, translational and posttranslational levels in CdR-RFL6 cells; 3) To explore LO effects on the downregulation of its collagen and elastin substrates and on the elastin repair in CdR-RFL6 cells; and 4) To demonstrate elevation of cellular MT and GSH, perturbation of Cu homeostasis and downregulation of LO as key mechanisms in emphysema pathogenesis of rats receiving Cd by chronic administration. The outcome of the proposed research is expected to define key aspects of Cd modulation of LO gene expression and processing by perturbation of Cu homeostasis in the lung, thus enhancing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms for Cd emphysema pathogenesis. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]